Happy New Year!

Hi there folks I hope that this, my latest Blog for Wildfoot Travel, ﬁnds you all like myself – well, thoroughly recovered from the festive season, rested, refreshed and looking forward to a new and hopefully exciting fun-packed, adventure-ﬁlled year ahead of us!

Happy New Year!

Kerry’s superb wildlife art is exhibited at a number of venues, especially in the UK and, like Wildfoot, she will be at the next British Birdfair at Rutland Water in August.

Before that, Wildfoot will be promoting visual art of a different kind at The Photography Show at the NEC from 18th to 21st March. Come and see us on Stand B73 and learn about special wildlife photography expeditions and opportunities in the world’s wild places.

Kerry writes a regular blog about her adventures meeting these animals and her creative process, which we are proud to share with you.

Hi there folks I hope that this, my latest Blog for Wildfoot Travel, ﬁnds you all like myself – well, thoroughly recovered from the festive season, rested, refreshed and looking forward to a new and hopefully exciting fun-packed, adventure-ﬁlled year ahead of us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The closure of 2016 bought with it exciting news that our mortgage had been ﬁnalised at last on our new home, which we’d previously been privately renting, in Cheshire (having previously relocated from Leicestershire). Now you might be thinking ‘what exactly has this got to do with my Blogging as a wildlife artist? Let me explain … Since my relocation to Cheshire I have, for the past months, been having to work out of two temporary studios – one being our conservatory and number two being our spare upstairs room having been unable to physically move my original studio from one county to the next. However I’m at last so pleased to say that my days of going back and forth between these two ‘perfectly ﬁne for now’ locations in our home will be gladly phased out over the coming months as our garage transforms from ‘occasional dumping ground and storage overﬂow’ to ‘custom studio conversion’ … needless to say I’m a little excited – understatement of the year even though we’re only in January lol.

Okay let me get you all up to date since we last chatted (well I chatted and you read) and because I’ve a mind like a sieve no make that a colander it has bigger holes items wont necessarily be in chronological order lol, so here goes:

With many new adventures peeking over the not too distant horizon I thought it to be an ideal time to create a new logo for myself and so set about the time consuming task, with only Skye my constant canine companion and a copious amount of coffee keeping me company. Six hours later and with a rumbling tummy the task was complete and my new logo was born. And all of this just in time for my second meeting with the Managing Director and Visitor Services Manager of Knowsley Safari Park here in Cheshire … A day that I’ll not easily forget or want to for that matter, for as far as meetings go it was perfect and the outcome even better after having been referred to as the resident artist (their words not mine lol). Well it all sounds grand doesn’t it until you realise that there isn’t anything set up there at all yet and that the reins controlling this venture lie in my hands alone. Daunting yes, mind boggling yes, exciting oh YES!!! Never being one not to have a go, and knowing that nothing happens on it’s own I’m jumping in at the deep end …. but with armbands of market research holding me aﬂoat lol. This baby will either sink or swim but as I don’t intend to call her Titanic I just might be onto a winner so watch this space lol …

When I last chatted with you I was in fact about to commence a private commission of a Welsh Collie named Minnie, well I’m pleased to say that the commission was completed ahead of time and delivered to a very satisﬁed customer in North Wales.

The commission that is now on my easel is for my latest client … the one and only Chris Packham! Due to the subject matter the actual painting itself has to be kept under wraps so to speak but Chris is more than happy for you to know that he values my work a great deal and I in turn feel very honoured that from the vast array of artists that he knows he chose me to create this speciﬁc painting for him. However I must admit that not being able to share this particular work in progress does make me feel like a secret agent lol. As soon as Chris has his ﬁnished painting, and that shouldn’t be too long now, I’ll be able to share it with the rest of the world and hopefully you’ll have found it worth waiting for 😉

With this new commission on my easel other works for mere mortals such as myself, only kidding, have had to stay in the wings for the time being. I was hoping that by now I’d have more work on the Sumatran Tiger and Wolves paintings but at alas it isn’t meant to be just yet:

Rest assured, as I do, as soon as Chris’s commission is complete the wolves project will be back on my easel and worked to completion much to the ‘about time’ of three clients whom have already reserved the ﬁrst batch of limited edition prints to be taken from this painting.

Another ‘possible adventure happening in the not too distant future’ that appeared over the horizon just before Christmas was this: I received a phone call completely out of the blue from a dear friend whom I’ve known for around 9 years but hadn’t spoken to in a while. After the normal hello’s and how are you’s there was a pause and a chuckle (from his end not mine) and then a cascade of words that were music to my ears …. I thought that would wake you up during my ramblings lol. Well to cut a long story, and an even longer conversation, short the outcome of our conversation was indeed a positive one – my friend (I’ll be able to share more details later) is in the process of setting up a new business and would like me onboard too. He currently runs photographic tours to his two favourite places in the world Botswana and Estonia but intends to branch out further to include art safaris hence his phone call to me! Needless to say I agreed that I’d love to accept his offer (once I’d picked myself up off the ﬂoor that is lol). So now, for me at least, it’s a waiting game while the new business’ website gets built and the cogs begin to turn. So yet again more news on this next time…

More news coming in next Blog but here’s a taster:

I’ll be taking my Knowsley Safari Park market research work into Knowsley Safari Park itself as part of stage one in creating an art-based catalogue of events there …. * Art journal months one and two…

January will still hopefully be seeing the launch of my YouTube channel…

February sees the start of my Wildlife 2017 Workshops in Leicestershire and an additional one running in Northants the week after …

March sees the birth of another new venture I’ve been asked to create this time at Chester Zoo – Under the umbrella title of Chester’s ‘Bloom Campaign – engaging people with wildlife on a local level‘ I’ll be running ‘Watercolour Wildlife’ workshops…

And April sees me take my Wildlife Workshops to Bedfordshire

Oh yes and before I forget I’ve also been asked to tattoo someone! Lol so more news on that too next time ?

Plus I may have more news on Botswana and Estonia by then …

May I take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to those of you who’ve been taking the time to correspond with me with not only encouraging words regarding my Blog but my work too – all comments are truly appreciated.

Okay I think it’s time to wrap this Blog up for today as I need to go and get creative and I’m sure you’ve had enough of my ramblings for one day lol…

If you would like me to add anything in particular to these Blogs on Wildfoot Travel’s website then please do feel free to let me know and I’ll see what I can do. You can contact me via email at [email protected]

Well it’s over and out from me for now Be blessed and thank you once again for following my endeavours. Looking forward to chatting with you all again soon Love & peace, Kerry xXx